I have glorified you on earth – John 17, Part 1

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses in this lecture an interpretation of verses from the Gospel of John (chapter 17) with a focus on Christ’s phrases: “I have glorified You on the earth” and “the work which You gave Me to do I have finished.” The lecture explains the meaning of glorifying God practically and theologically, and calls the Christian to be a witness to God’s presence in his life.

Main Idea

Christ glorified the Father by His word, His life, and His deeds, so He revealed God’s image in His depth, His holiness, and His love in the redemption. Glorification here does not mean giving lacking glory to the Father, but showing His glory to people and acknowledging Him. The believer must ask himself: Do I glorify God in my life or do I glorify myself? Do my deeds and manifestations lead people to love God?

Spiritual Dimension and Practical Message (from a Coptic Orthodox perspective)

• Glorification is a call to holiness, love, and work in the service of building the Kingdom, not to seek personal glory.
• The completion that Christ speaks of means faithfulness and perfection in service and personal life — the work must be completed both regarding oneself and regarding others.
• Partnership with God: the believer is a worker with God and the Holy Spirit is a partner in accomplishing the work, so no pride or claim of self-achievement.
• Witness: showing God’s name to people in speech, life, and example. Love for the divine name makes the believer mention God in all his conversations and lead others to Him.

Practical Examples mentioned in the lecture

• David: he entered the field with the name of God and changed people’s talk from fear of might to the mention of God.
• Joseph the Righteous: he completed his work in prison and in serving food to the people, so his success was the result of the faithfulness God gave him.

Call for Self-Examination and Commitment

The lecture concludes with a personal summons: examine yourself — what have you not completed? Which spiritual and personal responsibilities require completion? Have you revealed God’s name to those the Lord gave you? The goal is for the believer to live as a temple of the Holy Spirit, completing duties in the home, school, work, and service.

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